In August 1976, workers at the Grunwick Film Processing factories in Willisden, North West London took strike action against pay and conditions in the plant. The strikers, over 60% of whom were women joined the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staffs - APEX - and were immediately sacked by the company. Several mass pickets were organised and local postal workers refused to handle the company's mail, but the National Association for Freedom organised a private mail delivery and strike breakers were bussed through the picket line. The Court of Appeal and the House of Lords overruled recommendations for union recognition from ACAS (the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service) and the Scarman Court of Inquiry and the strike came to an end in July 1978.

This photograph shows the strikers at the TUC Congress in Blackpool in 1977 with Jayaben Desai, one of the strike leaders, centre right.